An Open letter of Apology to anybody negatively impacted by my Yes vote on Utah Constitutional Amendment 3

Good Morning, Day, Afternoon, Evening, or Night, whichever be more appropriate greetings to you as you are reading this.

If you, as an individual, have been negatively impacted by my Yes vote on Utah Constitutional Amendment 3, 2 November 2004, I sincerely apologize.

At the time I did not really feel good about the vote, but I knew it was the expectation of the LDS Church Establishment, whose opinion at that time mattered greatly to me, that I vote Yes on the measure. I have since realized that values, honor, courage, and above all, love, are more important than dogma, fear, intolerance, and hate. I wish I had come to this realization years earlier, as the acceptance of this basic truth has brought me great happiness.

I do not feel it is the role of government to define love. I do not understand how any organization which views marriage as a sacrament allows any secular government to define what is and is not marriage, or requires government to validate said institution. I believe it would be an infringement if the government tried to force a religious organization opposed to gay marriage to perform such rites, but I do not believe this is likely to ever happen, in the United States at least.

Acting in deference to religious and cultural pressures is not an excuse. I realize this, and therefore issues this apology.

Joe